Life's Strange Tree
by Rhiannon A. Christy
Summary: Darcy lived in a world of superheroes-slash-villians, her best friend was dating an alien god for goodness sake! Still, she figured having a run in with a fictional character, no matter how hot, was probably not normal. Nor was it to follow him along to his universe for adventure... and maybe a bit of romance.
1. Seed and Sprout

Darcy had lived through some crazy shit in her time, but she had a feeling this was the craziest of shit to date.

"Loki, Doombots, evil organizations hell bent on world domination, I can deal with all that. This though… can I just nope out of all this?" Darcy moved further back into her room until she found herself pressed into the corner with a man that shouldn't exist.

"I'd like to see you ask them that. I have a feeling you wouldn't get very far." The man, who quite frankly, had been a fictional character up to ten minutes ago gestured towards the horde of advancing machines.

"No thank you, if there is one thing I've learned, it's that evil generally doesn't do reason." Darcy, keeping her eyes on the menacing pepper shakers, reached out her arm hoping to find anythng to defend herself. She groaned and rolled her eyes at what she grasped.

"I would like to know what sort of job you have that has allowed you to come to that conclusion…" The man looked down to the woman beside him, his eyes catching sight of the object in her hand. He snatched it from her, a plan already forming in his head. "…and where you got this. Stand back."

The man pushed the woman behind him, ignoring whatever she was trying to tell him, pointing the device in his hand at the string of lights over their head.

Nothing happened. He tried again, again nothing happened. He shook it, banged it against the wall, but still nothing happened. As he was examining it he noticed something written on the back of it. "Made in China."

"What… what… what…" The man blinked at the object in his hand until Darcy reached around and took it from him.

"For fuck's sake, I was trying to tell you that it's a toy." Darcy rolled her eyes and stuffed the toy in her pocket.

"What…"

Darcy nudged the man in the side, bringing his attention to the tin cans still before them. "Could we maybe come back to this conversation after we are safe?"

"Right…. Right…" the man clapped his hands together and looked about the room.

Darcy stared up at him. "Couldn't you just use your own screwdriver?"

"Yeah, well, I kinda-sorta misplaced it." He gave her an awkward smile.

"You lost it?!" Darcy blinked in shock.

"Misplaced. There's a difference."

"Whatever, you have a plan or not?" Darcy looked over at the evil alien trashcans, her brows furrowing. "Um, why haven't they attacked, or spoken, or moved for that matter?"

"If I may Ms. Lewis, I took the liberty of remotely disabling the devices. The creatures inside are still alive, but are unable to access the controls to their suits."

Darcy let out a relieved breath. "Thanks J-man."

"What…" The man walked over to the machines, knocking on them, flicking at the bits and bobs. "Oh, that is cleaver. Let me guess, fully automated computer system intergraded into the building's security system?"

"he is the security system, actually he is the building." Darcy patted the wall with a fond smile. She knew it was silly, but she liked to think that Jarvis could actually feel it.

"He has complete control of all systems?"

"I run and maintain all security measures, climate control, television and radio signals, internet access, and power systems, Doctor. I also keep track of all needs both physically and emotionally of the residents, and arrange orders of supplies." Jarvis's voice almost sounded proud.

"Complete control, but who controls him I wonder… and how did he know who I was?" The Doctor turned back to Darcy, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"First off, no one controls Jarvis. Tony would like to think so, but he thinks a lot of things. Second, well…" Darcy wasn't sure how she was going to explain what was going on, mostly as she didn't know either. This was the first time a fictional character had shown up in her room. "The thing is, you're a t.v. show, well a character off a t.v. show. One I like actually. And I have no idea why you are in my room, beyond some kind of hallucination from smoke or pollen. Cause I know I'm not high voluntarily. I haven't done anything since high-school, well there was that time with Jane after Thor went back to Asgard, but nothing since then."

The Doctor leaned back against one of the Daleks, waiting for the woman to finish.

"Ok, I'm done now." Darcy pressed her lips together to keep from rambling.

"Interesting, and new, not sure I've ever encountered a fictional me before." The Doctor pushed off the Dalek and began rummaging through his pockets. "Oh, I know I've got it somewhere… aha!"

Darcy watched as the Doctor pulled a small, box like device from deep in his pockets. His fingers fiddled with it, poking and stroking it this way and that. Darcy swallowed thickly, fanning herself. It just had to be the tenth Doctor. She would admit, she had more than one hot dream about this particular Doctor. Though maybe she wouldn't admit that to his face.

The box made a little whirring noise, bringing Darcy out of the gutter and back to reality, such as it was.

"So… is that a good whir or a bad whir?"

"Depends on how you look at it." The Doctor twisted the box in his hands, looking up only when the woman next to him huffed out loud. "There is no sign of my race, but this building seems to be filled with great amounts of temporal energy. Has your world already achieved time travel?"

Darcy bit her lip, thinking back to what Jane had hooked up in her lab. "Not exactly…"

The room around the two jolted, sending Darcy colliding straight into the Doctor. She had no time to enjoy the feeling of being in his arms, as the box began whirring loudly. The Doctor set Darcy aside, his fingers tapping rapidly along the sides of the box.

"Oh, it doesn't like it." The Doctor tapped the box against his leg when it wouldn't stop whirring. "Not at all."

"Not to interrupt or anything, but what the hell is going on?" Darcy braced herself as the room shook again, this time bits of the ceiling crumbling around her.

"I'm not supposed to be here. We are not supposed to be here," the Doctor motioned towards the Daleks, "and our presence is reacting to the energy in this building. Reacting very badly."

"And what, it is tearing it apart?" Darcy groaned as she was knocked into the wall again, that was going to bruise.

"No, it is tearing your world apart." The Doctor's eyes were wide as he read the readings on the box. That shouldn't be right, but it was. Big things had been going on in that universe, and it didn't want or need him in it. It would tear itself apart just to get rid of him.

"Right, it is never simple with you is it?" Why was it that whenever the world was crashing she was right in the middle of it?

"The universe is rarely simple." He pushed the box back into his pocket.

"Yes, I'm beginning to realize that." Darcy was once again flung into the Doctor's side. This time though he didn't set her aside. The air in her lungs rushed out as he took her hand and pulled her out of the room.

"if I don't get us back into our own universe, yours is going to collapse."

Darcy wasn't sure if she should let the man know that he was still holding her hand or not, but the sight of the TARDIS kept her lips shut tight.

"I should be able to pull the Daleks along with me back into our own universe." Rushing inside of the TARDIS, the Doctor let go of Darcy's hand and proceeded to press, smash, flick, twist, pull, and push all manner of levers and buttons along the console. It seemed as though the show had been correct in regards to his piloting.

The Doctor let out a yelp as the TARDIS gave him a shock. Darcy just shook her head. Then of course she screamed as she was tossed across the TARDIS floor as sparks flew. When everything calmed down the Doctor let out a triumphant yell, startling Darcy.

Still lying on the floor, Darcy raised a hand into the air. "I give you a ten for saving the planet, but minus several thousand for your style. Could you not have done that without turning the TARDIS into a blender?"

The Doctor looked down at the woman on the floor, his eyes wide. Truthfully, he hadn't been paying attention to what he had been doing when he had dragged her along with him. He had gotten so used to having a companion that he hadn't stopped to think.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Eh, I'm alright. I might be a little black-and-blue for awhile, but I'll live." Darcy accepted that hand offered to her, grunting as he pulled her up.

The Doctor looked at the woman sadly. "Ms. Lewis, the breach into your universe has sealed shut."

Darcy looked at the man beside her and blinked. It took her a few seconds to realize what he meant, once she did she nodded and cleared her throat.

"Well then, you should probably call me Darcy, because I refuse to be called Ms." Ignoring the sorrowful looked the Doctor was sending her, Darcy sat down in the seat by the console. She had been saying that it was time for her to move on from the Avengers, guess there was no time like the present.

* * *

Author's Note: Alright, so this is the first time for me writing the Doctor, so I hope it was ok. Anyway, this story came out of the fact that while playing with my sonic screwdriver (yeah that doesn't sound wrong at all) I noticed the "made in China" stamp and well, this was born.

This will be just little glimpses of Darcy's life with the Doctor, and will not be updated regularly. This takes place pretty much just after Martha and right before Donna returns.

Does anyone know what the pairing name for this ship is or would be?

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


	2. Little Shoots

Darcy slipped into the control room, her socked feet making almost no sound. She stood in the doorway watching as the Doctor sat at the open Tardis door, his feet dangling out into space. It was strange seeing him so quiet, he was normally dashing about, this way and that, pressing buttons and flicking switches. To see him like this was unnerving.

"What are you doing sitting here in silence?" She leaned her shoulder against the wall, her eyes adjusting to the abnormally dark room.

The Doctor turned to face inside, a slight smile on his face as looked upon Darcy. It had been a month since he had dragged her out of her universe and into his. In that time she had traveled with him, exploring and saving planets.

For a single moment after he had realized what he had done, he had thought about dropping her off on Earth. He had lost too many companions, he was a danger to their lives and their hearts. That moment passed quickly as he realized how wrong his line of thought was. He had been the one to pull her away from her own universe, away from her friends and family and all that was familiar. Now she was his responsibility, and he couldn't just leave her alone in an unfamiliar world.

"There is no true silence in the universe, only absence of sound." He leaned his back against the doorframe, crossing his legs at the ankles. He could barely see Darcy's expression in the dim light of the console, but he imagined she looked quite annoyed with him.

"I hate to break it to you, but that is what silence is." Darcy left the wall and maneuvered her way to the door. She slipped down at his feet, flicking at the toe of his shoe with her hand.

"Nope!" The Doctor tapped his foot twice on her knee before spinning in place so he could return to his previous position.

"Nope?! What do you mean, nope? Do I have to get out a dictionary and actually show you the definition of silence?" Darcy blinked at the man… alien… alien man, in front of her. She had known he could be a bit… eccentric… even before she was pulled into his universe. After living with him for a month she realized that the show really downplayed it.

"Do you hear any sounds right now, Darcy Lewis?" The Doctor turned his head back and grinned. Forgetting about what came later, the loss and heart ache, he decided to focus on the good bits. The bits where he got to show all of time an space to someone for the first time, watch their eyes grow big and the look of wonder light up their face.

"Besides our voices, no." She let out a little shriek when, without warning, the Doctor reached back and yanked her forward. He settled her beside him, her legs dangling into space with his. She had seen him in this position many times before, but she had never been brave enough to join him. She knew he would never allow her to fall, but it was the thought of so much nothing below her that was scary. It was like getting on a boat out in the ocean, you knew that the chances of the ship sinking were low, but you couldn't help but freak out over the many, many creepy-ass things lurking in those waters.

"Now, listen." He leaned into her side a little, watching her face as she did as told. He could see her frustration and couldn't help but give a little laugh.

"I don't know if this is some Time Lord thing or not, but I'm not hearing anything." Darcy shook her head and made to get up. She huffed when he pressed her back down with a single hand. Before she could get after him, he slid back enough that he was able to sit behind her with a leg on each side. She swallowed as she realized she was now cradled between his legs with her back resting on his chest.

"This is better." Reaching up, he placed both hands over her ears, cupping them lightly. He left them there for only a second, pressing them in until he laid them flat against her head. Slowly he slid his hands until he had uncovered her ears, but continued to hold her head. "Now, listen."

Darcy opened her mouth to ask him what the hell he was doing, but she didn't get a word out before the world around her erupted into sound. From all around her she could hear an undulating buzz reminiscent of a singing bowl. The deep pulsing bass, like rapid heartbeats. Amongst this a high hum that made her think of the tales of sirens. She closed her eyes and relaxed completely into arms of the man behind her.

For a while the two remained quiet, and when Darcy did decide to speak it was a whisper. Somehow it felt wrong to speak any louder than that.

"What is this? It is beautiful." Darcy was so focused on the sounds surrounding her that she almost missed his reply.

"That is the song of the universe. Electromagnetic radiation translated into sound so you can hear it. This is all around you, all the time, everywhere. Even when you can't hear it, it is there." He rested his chin on her head, his eyes taking in the universe outside. "This is what I meant."

"Never silence, only absence of sound." Darcy had never heard anything so beautiful in her life, the song of planets and stars, or creation around her. She felt the Doctor's hands slip from her head, the sounds abruptly stopping as soon as they were gone.

Darcy remained sitting at the door as the Doctor stood and returned inside. The control room lit up and the spell surrounding her seemed to disappear. She stood and followed back inside, sitting down in the chair.

"Is that what you hear all the time?" She watched as he flicked a couple of switches and looked up to give her a small smile.

"It is different depending on where you are in the universe, but yes." He flicked the switch to close the doors and quickly set about entering a series of coordinates into the console.

"Doesn't it ever drive you crazy?" Darcy pulled her feet up onto the chair to prevent the Doctor from stepping on them as he rushed about.

"Never. That is the sound of life." He stopped where he stood, his eyes setting on the young woman. "True silence, now that would drive me to insanity. I couldn't stand that, not ever."

Darcy swallowed back the lump that formed in her throat. She didn't need him to explain what he meant, it was all etched out in his face. And, she thought, she agreed with him. True silence would be horrifying.

* * *

Author's Note: Alright, had this story started for awhile, but just now was able to finish it. Actually got the idea while I was in Humanities class when we were talking about experimental styles of music.

Anyway, I suggest reading this, or at least the last half of this after going on YouTube and looking up the videos of the NASA recording of the sounds of the planets. They are really interesting.

And I have been asked if I will be following Who Cannon, and yeah I will, and at some point I might write a chapter during one of the eps, but I will be focusing mainly on the in-between time. I don't just want to rewrite the series with just Darcy thrown in.

And I'm tagging this TemperalShock, because I'm not sure what the ship name for this is, if it even has one yet so I'm tagging it this right now.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


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